


Open Schedule

by franchouchou



Category: THE iDOLM@STER, THE iDOLM@STER: SideM
Genre: M/M, Mstage references, SideM Secret Santa 2018, winter weather
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-02-01 02:04:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21327178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/franchouchou/pseuds/franchouchou
Summary: Ryo gets to the office just as soon as the Producer cancels the idols' plans for the day. But at least Daigo is there.
Relationships: Kabuto Daigo/Akizuki Ryo
Kudos: 8





	Open Schedule

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mezunaria](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mezunaria/gifts).

> a gift for @RYOAKlZUKI on twitter as part of 2018's SideM Secret Santa. It's not a late fic, just never posted on ao3 before, so here it is!

❄❅❆

The urge to interrupt them and act like he didn't mind at all gripped Ryo. The producer, on the other end of the phone with Ryo, was telling him in a big explanation that neither they nor the dance trainer would be able to get to the 315 Pro offices in this weather. Logically, this speech was going to meet its end with Producer telling Ryo the practice was canceled. Or really, the call had started like that, but Producer felt they had a lot to apologize for, with how busy they were keeping Ryo with work both in and out of his unit, and they went on and on about—

"But nevermind that, Ryo. I'm pretty sure that a couple units should be in the studio just practicing on their own, and a couple other colleagues will be around too… You shouldn't be bored, at least, if your decision is to stay indoors even with your formal practice canceled, I mean what with the weather and all being kind of inconvenient for you heading back out..." Producer offered, bringing their apologetic speech to a close where Ryo was too polite to say anything to cut them off.

Ah, yeah, the weather was not great, to say the least. It was quite snowy, maybe normal and preferred for this time of year, but more sudden than you'd think, with meteorologists saying there'd be an estimated twenty centimeters when this was over. This, being what must be going to last into the night, maybe even until tomorrow. This, being a bit of a snowstorm. But nothing so bad that Ryo couldn't eventually get to 315 Pro’s office building.

But bad enough that he was standing in the stairwell after Producer had hung up, glasses _still_ fogged up from how cold it was outside, even after removing them from his face what felt like full minutes ago. The semi-rimless frames were frigidly cold and wet in his unmittened hand, and judging from the feel of his scalp his fluff of brown hair was probably matted darker from the snow that got to sticking on it too. The weather looked pretty unmerciful at the start, and had only gotten worse on his entire journey here. And his face, so stiff and cold… He had to get up to the office quickly, half-hoping it was a sauna in there.

Well at least he wouldn't need to change into training clothes and launch into a dance session on schedule anytime soon with that cancellation. Ryo was glad for a bit of a break, truly… The evening before, he had just performed in a mixed unit Christmas concert...party almost. It was a lot of fun, but he liked to take well-deserved breathers after lives that went great whenever he could get them. Especially when it was the winter holiday season and a lot of his efforts had been paying off as of late, not just for him but for the fans too... And them. Their unit, F-LAGS, who he didn't always get to do jobs with lately...

"Oh! Sensei, Ryo's here! Knew that was yer voice."

Unmistakably, that was Daigo, appearing at the top of the stairs through Ryo’s clearing lenses, as if on cue for his thoughts.

"Took ya a bit, Ryo," He nearly bounded over to Ryo, smiling as bright as ever. It faltered just a bit when he brought his phone up. "We got an email from Boss that practice is canceled, though. But ya just got here, so that's kinda a waste, huh?"

_A waste, he says..._ "Yeah, Daigo-kun, I heard from them too. Ahh… So do you mean you want us to stay here even still?" He was a bit too tired to keep walking, or standing up like he was doing now, too cold to spend any more time away from the office's couches and that sweet central heating. "I don’t know how long you've been waiting for me but I think we should go in together anyway." And on top of it all, he missed being with his unitmates.

Kazuki, still up half a floor, hummed his approval. ".....I think we should take this time to catch up, I'd like to hear about yesterday’s live, and make you some tea... If you'd like… I've been learning some things...—"

"Hear about it?"

"Well, I did see Ryo's posts in the...group message…but..." Kazuki didn't need to go on.

"Ah yeah I get it I get it, don't worry, Sensei," Daigo clasped Ryo around the shoulders as he said this, drawing him close to his body as he loudly and cheerfully reassured Kazuki about ghosting the chat, causing Ryo to shuffle shyly a bit. He missed this, even if he couldn't get _completely_ used to it yet. "And ya probably also wanna hear firsthand that story Ryo read to the fans, right? Probably looked real cool acting it out actually now that I think about it!"

"I'm very interested, actually." Kazuki gave a tiny smile and nodded. "Now, I should go and get our drinks prepared, I'll see you two when you follow me." And with that he turned and went up.

Daigo moved from around Ryo and returned his hands to their usual home in his pockets. His cheeks were a little pink— something Ryo suspected without a doubt his own were, along with his nose, ears, really whole face after coming in from the snow, but in Daigo’s case it was of course from something different. He was so warm, in more than just one way…

"You're so comfortable doing that now that we’re dating…" Ryo said.

"Huh?" Daigo blinked. "Ah yeah, well I can't just not love huggin' ya, right? You're my boyfriend."

Ryo had nothing to argue against that, but it was more bold than he was used to to have Daigo justify it with the fact that Ryo was now his boyfriend, rather than just Ryo being cute and cool to him. He couldn't even think to himself that he ought to say, _okay but not in public_ as some might… Because, yeah, dating as an idol wasn't exactly allowed and people out of the office should under no circumstances know about it, but Daigo knew more than anyone how much being a male idol meant to Ryo and wouldn't jeopardize it, ever. They were in the pretty much always empty stairwell to the office after all, so it was pretty private as far as things go when you're a bubble gum-haired fourteen-year-old filled to the brim with energy and love to give.

"My super cool boyfriend," Daigo went on, likely because of Ryo's lack of a comeback. Ryo's cheeks couldn't help but pull at Daigo's silly flattery.

What Ryo sometimes didn't completely get was how Daigo could be so casually open with him, and showing barely any visible embarrassment. _He's just that kind of guy huh…_

"Say, y'know, we basically just got a day off today. And around Christmas! Thanks ta the blizzard and the blocked roads I'd say, yeah? Don't gotta stay at the office for all of it, though," Daigo said as they climbed the stairs.

Ryo was at least not always dense to flirting when it came from someone he was confirmed dating. Okay, when justifying it like that to himself it really did sound like he was super dense in general, but, he knew where this was going.

Daigo had wanted some downtime and a… a date for a while, like a real date, though they'd both been pretty busy lately and the timing wasn't ever that right and…

"It's still pretty bad out. You think we'd be able to go anywhere if we left?" _Would anywhere be open?_ Ryo thought, though he somehow doubted Daigo's ideal date ideas really hinged on social constructs such as "business hours".

Just then they could hear even from inside the building what sounded like a particularly huge gust of wind, and the power cut out, turning the whole stairway dark and eliminating any machine hum heard earlier.

Daigo whistled. He then immediately swiveled to face Ryo confidently despite this. "If it lets up later, ya wanna go on a date anyway? I'm asking ya out here."

Ryo couldn't say no to the Daigo-branded cocktail of positivity and gutsiness when it came to him, ever.

"Okay," he said, with a grin that he hoped matched the other boy's. It was probably more bashful, but Ryo didn't know if he wanted to get totally used to, or even desensitized, to Daigo. The flurry of feelings Daigo gave him always ended up making him think something like _boy_ was he ready to spend more time with him, come what may. Daigo gave his hand a squeeze.

The lights turned back on after that, a good sign for their plans. They'd have to remember to keep an eye on the weather from the office window.

❆❅❄


End file.
